Paella is a quintessential Spanish dish, and one of my favourite things to eat in Barcelona. While traditional paella originated in Valencia, there are lots of incredible paella restaurants in Barcelona where you can enjoy this delicious rice dish. However, finding paella for one in Barcelona is not easy, as it is usually served for a minimum of two people. So, as a solo traveller myself, I have scoured the city to show you where to find paella for one person in Barcelona!
Know Before You Go to Barcelona
Before travelling to Barcelona, make sure you book accommodation and popular attractions ASAP as hotels and tickets can sell out.
⭐ TOP 3 PAELLA EXPERIENCES IN BARCELONA:
1: Paella Cooking Experience & Boqueria Market Tour – great value class and delicious paella
2. Tastes & Traditions of Barcelona Food Tour – ending with Paella in Barceloneta
3: Marta’s Paella Cooking Class – in-person class at her home, no market tour included
🛌 MY FAVOURITE HOTELS IN BARCELONA:
$$: Sercotel Hotel Rosellon – Incredible view of the Sagrada Familia from some rooms and the terrace
$$: H10 Madison 4* Sup – top location with rooftop pool & view of the Gothic Cathedral
$: Chic & Basic Lemon Boutique Hotel – great value hotel near Plaça Catalunya
❗BEWARE OF PICKPOCKETS❗
Although Barcelona is a safe city, pickpockets are a problem here, particularly in popular tourist areas and on the metro. Use a theft-proof backpack and consider getting some hidden-pocket clothing to keep your belongings safe.
What is Paella?
I assume you already know what paella is if you’re looking for where to try it, but just in case: Paella is a traditional Spanish dish that originally came from the Valencia region of Spain.
It is a delicious and colourful rice dish, typically cooked in a wide, shallow pan called a “paellera,” which is where the dish gets its name. Paella is known for its rich combination of ingredients, including rice, saffron, vegetables, meat, and/or seafood.
Alongside paella on the menu you will often see fideua, which is a Catalan speciality. It is very similar to paella and cooked in the same pan, but made with pieces of thin noodles instead of rice.
Can You Have Paella for One Person?
Paella is usually for a minimum of two people. This isn’t a way to discriminate against solo travellers, but it is a practical issue. Paella pans are usually quite big, and large enough to feed at least two people.
Finding the right-sized paella pan for one person is more difficult, and then getting the right ratio of stock to the rice and other ingredients is even harder, so most restaurants don’t bother.
How to Find Paella for One in Barcelona?
There are some restaurants who serve individual paellas in Barcelona so I’ve found as many as I can for you below!
However, as well as individual paellas served in restaurants, there are a couple of other ways solo diners can try paella in Barcelona that can be more fun!
Take a Paella Cooking Class
Paella cooking classes are a fantastic way to enjoy paella for one, as you join a group class. Together you’ll learn what ingredients to choose for paella, how to make it, cook it and then eat it! Many classes also include a visit to a local market for the ingredients as well as the cooking class.
Take a look at these options or check out my blog post about the best paella cooking classes in Barcelona:
- Paella Cooking Experience & Boqueria Market Tour – I loved this, good value class and delicious paella (see the photos below!)
- Half-Day Spanish Cooking Class & Boqueria Market Tour – highly rated, kitchen on La Rambla
- Marta’s Paella Cooking Class – great class at her home, no market tour included
Join a Food Tour
Most Barcelona food tours don’t include paella on the menu as they tend to involve trying a selection of tapas and local food tastings at several different shops or restaurants.
However, this Tastes and Traditions of Barcelona Food Tour by Devour Tours does that, and then ends with a traditional paella in Barceloneta so you get the best of both worlds!
The tour starts in El Born neighbourhood at Santa Caterina Market, where you’ll sample some cheeses and cured meats including the famous jamón ibérico Iberian ham. You’ll continue exploring El Born, with some tapas tastings and a glass of cava, a stop at a local bakery and lots more along the way before you finish with a lunch of homemade seafood paella and some local wine!
Food tours are a great way to sample a variety of different foods in Barcelona, and I love how this one combines tapas and paella in one food-filled adventure! >>>Check prices and availability here.
Try it as Part of a Menu del Dia
Some restaurants which don’t serve individual paellas might have an option to include paella as part of a daily menu, in which case they will be making a large paella and serving up individual portions as they are ordered.
Thursday is a traditional day to eat paella in Barcelona, so you are likely to find more options on a Thursday, although you can also find it on other days of the week.
Order Paella as a Tapas Dish
Some tapas restaurants in Barcelona have the option to order a small portion of paellas in a tapas size. This might be in an individual paella dish or served on a plate from a large paella they’re making for everyone. I’ve suggested some tapas bars below that usually offer a tapa of paella for one or two people to try as part of a larger meal.
Try it at a Street Market or Festival
Sometimes you’ll come across street markets and street food markets which have a paella or fideua stall. The same goes for local festivals where they often make huge paellas to feed dozens of people. If you’re lucky enough to find something like this they are a great way to try fideua or paella for one, but it’s hard to plan when and where they will be.
Here’s where to find the restaurants with the best paella for one in Barcelona!
The Best Barcelona Paella for One
I have personally tried these paellas, and have listed some other options below that I have been recommended or I have found on Tripadvisor, Reddit or Google Maps through researching the best paella restaurants in Barcelona. I am aiming to try them all but haven’t got there yet! I’ll update this article as and when I try a new place.
Xiringuito Escribà, On the Beach
Av. del Litoral, 62. Open daily 12pm to 12am. My Paella rating: 10/10
I love this beachfront paella restaurant! They specialize in seafood and rice dishes, and have a fabulous selection of paellas to choose from, including huge individual paellas.
There is a note on the menu to say they only offer paella for one person when it isn’t too busy, so try to plan your visit on a weekday, as weekends are always jam-packed with locals and tourists who come here for lunch or dinner after a visit to the beach.
I visited with a friend of mine and we each ordered a different paella dish to try – she got the creamy rice with octopus, and I ordered the Escribà special fish paella. Both dishes were delicious, and I think it was the best paella I’ve ever eaten!
There are eight different kinds of paella to choose from, and most can also be chosen as fideuà or paella. Options include a Valencian-style paella with chicken, a black rice and a lobster paella. Portions are generous, I think they use the same paella pan as they would for two people, just with a bit less rice, so we were both stuffed.
If you have special dietary requirements, almost all of the paellas are suitable for coeliacs. The menu also has two vegetarian paellas which are also gluten-free – a mushroom and asparagus paella, and a green vegetable paella.
It takes at least 45 minutes for the paella to cook, so you’ll probably want to order a starter to nibble in the meantime. Service was ok, not amazing but if you have a view of the sea as you eat it definitely makes up for it!
Prices are on the high side, but for the location and the taste, it is worth it. We paid €45 each for a shared starter, an individual paella each and a bottle of wine.
I highly recommend booking a table, otherwise expect to wait. There’s no air-con as it is open-sided, so hope for a breeze and bring a fan! They also offer takeaway service and delivery via Glovo from 1pm to 10pm. See the menu here.
La Paella de Su, Diagonal
Av. Diagonal, 436. Open daily from 1pm to 5pm and again from 7pm to 11pm. My Paella rating: 9/10
This lovely traditional paella restaurant in Barcelona is a great place to get paella for one if you are travelling alone. If you are dining with a friend then you will have to order for a minimum of two people, so they only serve individual paellas for solo diners.
There are a whopping sixteen different types of paella to choose from, plus fideua options and some other main courses if you decide you don’t want paella after all!
The staff were really friendly and welcoming, and are happy to give recommendations if you can’t decide from the extensive paella options. The menu also includes a nice section on the origin of paella, and how to eat a paella in the traditional way – with a spoon!
At the suggestion of the waiter I ordered the Red Paella, and it was excellent. I would have liked a little more socorrat burned flavour on the bottom, and it was a little oily but I still really enjoyed it.
Preparation time is around 40 to 50 minutes so I also ordered a starter of battered cod balls coated in a pistachio crust. Yum!
Booking is recommended, but I managed to get a seat at the bar without a reservation. See the menu here.
Mesón Jesus, Gothic Quarter
C/ dels Cecs de la Boqueria, 4. Open daily 12pm to 12am. My Paella rating: 7/10
This is definitely a tourist place, with the hallmarks of everything I usually avoid – someone outside trying to get you to go in and photos of the menu on display, but it gets great reviews on Google maps so I wanted to check it out. The staff were friendly and service was quick, but the paella was not cooked from scratch as it only took 15 minutes to arrive.
I don’t know how they prepare it in advance as it was served in an individual paella dish; perhaps the rice is part cooked first and then added to the pan with the seafood to finish off? The portion size was decent, and there was a lovely lot of seafood in the paella de mariscos, including 3 large prawns and a scallop on top.
It was salty for my taste though, and it wasn’t anywhere near as good as Escriba, but certainly better than the frozen paellas that other tourist traps offer. If you’re in the Gothic Quarter and want a decent place to try paella for one you could do a lot worse, I’d rate it 7/10.
More Options in Barcelona for Paella for One:
I haven’t tried these restaurants which have individual paellas for one person in Barcelona yet, but they are on my list to try. I’ve you’ve been let me know!
Bar Joan, El Born
Inside Santa Catarina Market, Av. de Francesc Cambó, 16. Closed on Sundays.
This tapas bar inside the market apparently serves paella or fideua on Thursdays as part of the daily menu, including for one person only. There’s no website but there is an extensive tapas menu if you miss the paella.
L’Arrosseria Xàtiva, Gracia
Carrer del Torrent d’En Vidalet, 26. Open daily from 12.30pm – 11/11.30pm.
According to the menu, this rice restaurant in Gracia offers a wide range of individual paellas but only depending on the volume of work, so try to visit at a quiet time or during the week. Check the menu here.
Arume Restaurant, El Raval
Carrer d’En Botella, 11. Open Friday/Saturday/Sunday for lunch from 1-3pm, and every evening except Tuesday from 7pm to 12.30am. Closed on Tuesdays.
I’ve been recommended this as a great Galician restaurant to try paella for one. The menu is quite small and focuses on specialities from the Galicia region of Spain. Choose from seafood paella or duck paella with padron peppers. Check the menu here.
Louro, Las Ramblas
Rambla de los Capuchinos, 37. Open for lunch 1pm – 3.30pm on weekends, and for dinner from 7pm to 10.3pm/11pm on Thursday to Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday.
Another Galician restaurant which serves paella for one in Barcelona. Similar to Arume there is a small menu, with two paella options – a smoked aubergine paella and a baby cuttlefish and asparagus one. Check the menu here.
Paella Bar Boqueria, Las Ramblas
Mercat de la Boqueria Pòrtics de la Boqueria, Locals 6-7. Open daily, 12pm to 10pm.
This paella restaurant in Barcelona is located on the edge of the Boqueria Market, under the porticoes alongside the market. It is open every day, even when the market is closed and it is in a great location for visitors who come to the market.
The menu has a variety of rice dishes and paellas for one person, which they seemingly offer as standard. Choices include a vegetarian paella for one, and several seafood and meat/seafood mixed rice dishes and a couple of fideua options too. There is also tapas and a few seafood main courses too if you don’t want paella.
Prices start from around €20 per person for the vegetarian paella, up to €26 for the lobster and chorizo paella. There is a €2 supplement per person for tables on the terrace. Check the menu here.
Paella as a Tapas Dish
Another way to enjoy paella for one in Barcelona is to order it as a tapa. The portions are smaller than you would get in a full-size paella, but it is a great way to get your paella fix as a solo traveller, especially if you’re not sure if you’re going to like it.
As an added bonus, if you’re looking for cheap paella, getting a tapa of paella means you can try it without splashing out on a full meal.
Not all Barcelona tapas restaurants serve paella, so check the menu before you go inside. These are a couple of places I know of that serve paella or other rice dishes as a tapas option every day.
Thursday is a traditional day to eat paella in Barcelona, so you will find more options for paella on Thursday lunchtimes.
Sagradas Tapas
Av. de Gaudí, 48. Open daily 11am to 12am during the week, and until 1am on weekends. My Paella rating: 10/10
Sagradas Tapas is an excellent tapas bar that serves a variety of small plates at decent prices, located on the tree-lined Avenida de Gaudí.
Their tapas-sized paella for one is cooked and served in a mini paella dish so it is as close as you can get to a traditional paella on a small scale! You can choose between seafood paella, black rice (with squid) and seafood fideua.
It’s one of my favourite restaurants near La Sagrada Familia, and I love going there for the varied tapas menu including seafood, meat, and vegetarian options, which are all done very well. As your individual paella is fairly small you’ve got the chance to try some other tasty tapas dishes too.
Booking recommended. See the menu here.
Ciudad Condal / Ciutat Comtal
Rambla de Catalunya, 18. Open daily from 8.30/9am to 1am/1.30am.
This is one of the most popular tapas restaurants in Barcelona, and it gets very busy so you’ll need to book or show up at 12pm to have a chance of getting a table without a long wait.
They don’t always have paella on the menu but usually have some sort of rice dish as an option on their daily specials board.
The last time I went it was black rice, which was quite a generous portion, served on a plate so they were cooking a larger paella in the kitchen and served up individual portions as required.
They used to display the daily menu on their website so you could see in advance what the daily specials were, but they’re updating it at the moment so there’s nothing useful on there – check it here in case.
Cerveceria Catalana
C/ de Mallorca, 236. Open daily from 8.30/9am to 1am/1.30am.
This tapas restaurant is owned by the same company as Cuidad Condal, and has basically the same menu. Similarly they usually have one rice dish on the daily tapas menu, but currently there’s no way to check this in advance. Check the website here.
Do you have any more recommendations for Barcelona restaurants to eat paella for one? I’d love to hear them so I can try them out and share them here.
